Publishing your site makes your Clinic Sites website live on the Internet so patients can find it. This guide will walk you through activating your Clinic Sites subscription and changing your DNS records. Once complete, your website will be available publicly with your chosen domain name.
How to Launch Your Website
Publishing your site involves four main steps: activating your Clinic Sites subscription, adding your domain, updating DNS records, and making your domain primary.
Step 1: Activate your Clinic Sites Subscription
Activating billing starts your subscription and unlocks the ability to connect your domain.
- After logging in to your Clinic Sites account, click Admin > Settings in the top right-hand corner.
- In the left-hand menu, click Launch Site đ.
- Enter your billing information and confirm.
Step 2: Add Your Domain
This is the domain patients will use to visit your site.
- Now that your Clinic Sites subscription is active, click Domains in the left-hand menu.
- Next you'll click the Add Domain button.Â
- Enter your new domain name without https:// (e.g., yourclinicname.com).
- Click Save Domain to save your progress.Â
Step 3: Add Your Domain
Youâll now point your domain to Clinic Sites by editing the DNS settings at your registrar. This part is a bit technical so if you're not feeling comfortable editing DNS, you're welcome to book a Launch Call with our Clinic Sites Team here.
- Log in to your domain provider (GoDaddy, Hover, Bluehost, etc.).
- Navigate to DNS Settings.
- Locate your A Record. If it exists, change its value to 52.89.243.208.
If it does not exist, create an A Record with:- Type: A
- Name: @
- Value:Â 52.89.243.208
- Next, locate your CNAME Record for www. If it exists, change its value to loadbalancer.clinicsites.co.
If it does not exist, create a C NAMEÂ with:- Type: CNAME
- Name: wwwÂ
- Value:Â loadbalancer.clinicsites.co
- Delete any duplicate @ or www records with conflicting values. Leaving conflicting DNS records will prevent your site from launching properly.
- Once you've changed both the A Record and CNAME, your DNS changes usually update in about 10 minutes but may take up to 48 hours.
Step 4: Make Your Domain Primary
Now that you've changed your DNS, you'll want to make your new domain the primary domain. This ensures your site loads with your main domain.
- Return to your Clinic Sites website.
- Click Admin > Settings > Domains.
- Hover over your your newly added domain.
- Click the circle with the three dots and select Make Primary.Â
- You will be logged out of your Clinic Sites website, but you'll still be able to log in as you normally would.Â
Youâre all set! Your Clinic Sites website is now live on your chosen domain. Patients can access your site directly, and youâre ready to start sharing your web presence with the world.
Next steps
Now that your site is live, you may want to learn more about: